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I am not a cancer survivor, but I did survive as my wife’s caregiver during her fight with cancer. There is a saying I heard throughout our struggle, which states there are only four types of people in the world: those who are caregivers, those who have been caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will someday need a caregiver.

I consider myself a healthy woman. Recently I had my first baby. Throughout my pregnancy, I had to go multiple times to the OBGYN office and never had any issues. So last October when I received an email recommending I schedule my cervical cancer screening, it was at the bottom of my list.

Every December my husband and I make the drive from New Orleans to Pineville on the weekend before Christmas. That’s when my big extended family gathers at my parents’ house for a full day of holiday celebration. We drink way too much coffee and eggnog. We play a very loud, very competitive game of Dirty Santa (the gift swapping game otherwise known as White Elephant). And we talk. And talk. And talk some more (there are very few introverts in my family).

I hear the stories all the time. There’s the grandma who needs to watch her grandkids while her son and daughter-in-law are at work every day. There’s the woman who works at a downtown hotel, which makes sure she works 30-plus hours a week, but never a “full” one, so they don’t have to give her health insurance. She’s like the woman who doesn’t speak English very well, but is the one taking care our house, our children or our grandfather with Alzheimer’s, and where we’re not providing her insurance either.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program (LBHCP) reminds all women they should be getting regular mammograms. And remember if you need help getting one – whether it’s affording the overall screening, meeting a co-pay, not having transportation –whatever! We can help

Over the last few years, we’ve made huge jumps in fighting breast cancer. We are catching breast cancer earlier, so more and more women across the country, are surviving and living full lives. So why are so many Louisiana women dying of breast cancer? And why are they also dying of cervical cancer, which is entirely preventable?

Dramatic, moody, self-absorbed, rebellious. These are all words I’ve used to describe my teenager. I have to admit that the teenage years have been a roller coaster. My cute little snuggle bunny who used to put his head on my shoulder while I read him a bedtime story, now communicates with grunts and eye rolls. I tell myself it’s all part of growing up.

Last year during a routine check-up, my new doctor found a lump in my right breast and referred me to the mammography department of her clinic for follow-up diagnostic testing. It took me weeks of persistent calls to book my appointment, and when I showed up I was sent home without a mammogram because the referral wasn’t logged in their electronic records. I played phone tag with my doctor for another few weeks before the referral was recorded, and I had to begin the process of booking a mammogram all over again. The results were benign, but I was instructed to come back in six months to check on the lump.

On December 20, 2017, I had a breast biopsy. I didn't share this information with anyone because, as a clinician who has worked in breast cancer for many years, it was just another day on the job. I am the one used to comforting and reassuring women after telling them they need a biopsy - not the other way around.

Human papillomavirus. It’s a mouthful. HPV for short. But what is it? It is a very, very common virus of which there are more than 100 different types. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that at any one time, 79 million Americans are infected with HPV and about 14 million are newly infected each year. In fact, HPV is so common that just about everyone will be infected at some point in their lives.

In the 1950s, my maternal grandmother died of breast cancer when my mom was 16. Knowing this disease was in my lineage made me hyper aware of screening and prevention options, as I always had a sense that it wasn’t “if,” but rather “when” I would be diagnosed myself.

Did you know you can also get a no-cost mammogram on our mobile unit? This awesome unit travels around to different areas and this month it is showing up in Covington, Baton Rouge, Lettsworth, Mandeville, Denham Springs, and Ponchatoula! Check out the June schedule

In July 2016, at the ripe old age of 27, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I first noticed a lump in my breast in early June while I was performing a breast self-examination. Initially, I thought it may have been hormonal changes due to my menstrual cycle, but when the lump did not shrink/go away by the beginning of July, I had it examined. At first, my gynecologist thought the lump was a cyst, but he sent me to get a mammogram anyway because of my family history. Within five days of my first visit, and after a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer.

LBCHP has had a growth spurt! Since Medicaid Expansion, we have developed new eligibility criteria to cover more women, and increased our reach in the state to providers in Alexandria, Lake Charles and Zachary. We know Louisiana has high death rates from both breast and cervical cancer, in part due to lack of screening and access to healthcare. It is our hope that these new improvements will help us reach more women who need life-saving cancer screenings across the state.

World Cancer Day, February 4th, happens to fall between two big cancer awareness months: cervical & colorectal cancer. Director of the Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs (LCP), Donna Williams, told the Louisiana Radio network during her interview that, “The goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness about cancer prevention methods…Everywhere all across the world there are things that can be done to decrease the deaths from cancer.”

February is Black History Month, a time when we celebrate the contributions African Americans have made to our country. But even as we celebrate, we must remember that African Americans suffer the highest cancer mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group in the US. Here in Louisiana, white and black women are diagnosed with breast cancer at equal rates, but black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer before age 45, and are more likely to die from the disease. These disparities have been linked to a host of factors, including genetics and the fact that black women’s breast cancer is often more advanced when it is first diagnosed.

Confused about your well-woman visit? You’re not alone. Changing guidelines and recommendations have led to some confusion on when to have your visit, who should have a well-woman visit, and what a well-woman visit should include.

A well-woman visit or gynecological exam includes a pelvic exam, which is a physical examination, a Pap test (Pap smear). It may also include an HPV test if you are 30 years old or older.

December is a time of year that we often worry about material things, like buying gifts, and get caught up on the “wants” instead of the “needs.” This holiday season, we ask that you consider donating life-saving cancer screenings to women across Louisiana who urgently need them.

Louisiana has the second highest breast cancer death rate in the country – mostly because women don’t have access to screening – but there is a statewide program that provides no-cost mammograms and which can help save those lives. And we need you to help us get the word out about it.